Cultivating-tool.



v No. 870,957. PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907.

H. R. HILTON,

GULTIVATING TOOL.

APPLICATION mm MAR. 11. 1907.

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HUGH R.

HILTON, OF PORT ALLEGANY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CULTIVATING-TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application filed March 11I 1907- $eria1 No. 361.857.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that l, HUGH R. HILTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Port Allegany, in the county of McKean and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCultivating- Tools, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention provides a novel form of tool for cultivating thesoil and which is formed from a blank or strip having itsend portionsinwardly curved and forwardly converged to form blades which aresharpened at opposite edges and made hollow or concave on their undersides, the ends of the blades coming together on a medial line andpractically touching at their inner corners, and said blades havingtheir ends straight, sharpened and flared to form a V-shaped spacebetween them and two transversely spaced poin The middle portion of theblank or strip is sharpened on its inner, or forward edge only, and issupplied with a central blade pointing in the same direction as theconverged blades and acting jointly therewith when the tool is reversedand used as a drag.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and ac companying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or es sential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of an implement embodying the invention. Fig. 2is a central longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 isa plan view of theimplement reversed and used as a drag. Fig. i is a central longitudinalsection of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross section of a blade.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The tool or implement comprises body 1 and blades 2, said parts beingformed from a blank or strip of steel bent into the shape substantiallyas shown, the middle portion of the strip forming the body 1 and the endportions being inwardly curved and forwardly converged to provide theblades 2. The ends of the strips are straight as indicated at 3 and aresharpened to form cutting edges and these cutting edges Hare and form aV'shaped space 4 between them and points 5. The inner corners of theblades come together or touch and the under side of the blades is madehollow or concave. Opposite edges of the blades 2 are sharpened toprovide inner cutters 6 and outer cutters 7. The body 1 has its forwardedge 8 sharpened and is supplied at a central point with a blade 9riveted or otherwise secured to the body and having a tang 10 to which ahandle 11 is fitted. It is observed that the inner corners of the bladescome together on a medial line and that the blade 9 and space 4 are inlongitudinal alinement with the handle 11. The transversely spacedpoints 5 afford better control of the implement since they prevent sidemotion that is liable to occur in the forward thrust of a single-pointhoe when it encounters harder soil on one side than on the other, and atthe same time insure a balance whereby the operation of the implement isrendered more positive and easy since the points 5 and edges 3 morereadily penetrate the soil and loosen the same. In the event of weedsentering the V-shaped space 4, the cutting edges 3 close slightly on theforward movement of the implement and sever the same by a shear cut andupon backward movement of the implement, the blades 2 open slightly,thereby permitting them to free and clear themselves of weeds, trash andthe like. By making the blades 2 hollow, or con -ave, on their lowersurfaces, a cutting edge is assured and the blades will bite into thesoil more readily in either forward or backward stroke of the implement.This also obviates the tendency of all fiat bladed seuflle hoes to wearon the under side because of great friction, thereby giving the edges aforward turn which tends to throw the hoe out of the ground ornecessitates the handle being held at a steeper angle with loss ofpower.

The implement is reversible and when turned to bring the edges (3 and Slowermost, a valuable service is rendered in pulverizing the soil for aseed bed, also in working between rows of plants to loosen the soil andrestore the dry earth mulch after rains, and at the same time uprootingall weeds growing between the rows. When reversed, the implement is usedas a drag, that is, drawn backward instead of being pushed forward. Theblade 9 cuts into the hard places and prepares the soil in advance ofthe points 5, thereby enabling the latter to sink more readily into theloosened track of the blade 9. This brings the edges of the points 5 andthe edge 8 on each side of the blade 9 into service in moving the soiloutward. It further insures deeper cultivation in the center of thetilled furrow between the plant rows, and shallow cultivation next tothe plant rows, thus conforming to the natural root growth and at thesame time avoiding root pruning.

It is further observed that the implement may be provided in varioussizes and widths designed for farm, garden or nursery and that it may beused either with a handle as 11, or may be attached to either a wheel orhorse implement.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An implement comprising a strip having its end portions inwardlycurved and forwardly converged to provide a body and blades, the latterterminating upon opposite sides of a medial line in cutting edges whichare flared.

2. An implement comprising a strip having its end portions inwardlycurved and forwardly converged to provide a body and blades, the latterterminating upon opposite sides of a medial line in cuttin'g edges whichare flared, the under side of said blades being hollow and both thefront and rear edges of the blades being sharpened.

3. An implement consisting of a strip having its end portions inwardlycurved and forwardly converged and terminating in flared cutting edges,the inner corners of the blades touching and said blades adapted to havea lateral springing movement to enable the flared cutting edges tooperate by a shear action and the said blades to clear themselves oftrash.

4. An implement comprising a strip having its end portions inwardlycurved and forwardly converged to provide a body and blades which are indifferent planes, and a blade applied centrally to the said body andprojecting in the same direction as the converged blades and in linewith the space formed between said converged blades.

5. An implement formed of a strip having its end poi" tions inwardlycurved and forwardly converged to provide a body and blades, the latterterminating in diverged cutting edges and the blades having both theirfront and rear edges sharpened and the said body having its forward edgesharpened, and a blade projected forward from said body in the samedirection as the aforesaid converged blades.

6. An implement comprising a strip having its end portions inwardlycurvec}. and forwardly converged to provide a body and blades, thelatter being hollow upon their lower surfaces and terminating in flaredcutting edges, both the front and rear edges of the blades beingsharpened and the forward edge of said body being sharpened.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.1

HUGH R. HILTON. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

F. C. RETZER, W. E. SPRINGER.

